PSY 101 - Exam I (Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5) Test
Questions with Detailed Answers 2026-
2027 Update.
hindsight bias - Answer the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome that one would
have foreseen it - the "I knew it all along" phenomenon
critical thinking - Answer thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions,
rather it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses
conclusions
theory - Answer an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes
observations and predicts behaviors or events
hypothesis - Answer a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
operational definiton - Answer a statement, of the procedures (operations) used to define
research variables
ex.) human intelligence can be operationally defined as "what an intellignece test measures"
replication - Answer repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different
participants in differnet situtions, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants
case study - Answer an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the
hope of revealing universal principles
naturalistic observation - Answer observing and recording behavior in naturally occuring
situations without trying to manipulate and control situation
survey - Answer a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a
partiuclar group, usually by questioning a representation, random sample of the group
population - Answer all the cases in a group being studied, from which sample may be drawn
random sample - Answer a sample that fairly represents a population because each member
has an equal chance of inclusion
, correlation - Answer a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of
how well either factor predicts the other
correlation coefficient - Answer a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from
1-10)
scatterplot - Answer a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two
variables. the slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between two
variables. the amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates
higher correrlation)
experiment - Answer a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more
factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the
dependent variable). by random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control
other relevant factors
experimental group - Answer in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the
treatment, that is, to the one version of the independent variable
control group - Answer in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the tratment;
contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a compairions for evaluation the ffect of
the treatment
random assignment - Answer assigning participants to experimental and control groups by
chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
double-blind procedure - Answer an experimental procedure in which both the research
participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the reserach participants
have received the tratment or a placebo. commonly used in drug-evaluation studies
placebo effect - Answer experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on
behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient
assumes is an active agent
independent variable - Answer the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable
whose effect is being studied
confounding variable - Answer a factor other than the independent variable that might
produce an effect in an experiment
Questions with Detailed Answers 2026-
2027 Update.
hindsight bias - Answer the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome that one would
have foreseen it - the "I knew it all along" phenomenon
critical thinking - Answer thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions,
rather it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses
conclusions
theory - Answer an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes
observations and predicts behaviors or events
hypothesis - Answer a testable prediction, often implied by a theory
operational definiton - Answer a statement, of the procedures (operations) used to define
research variables
ex.) human intelligence can be operationally defined as "what an intellignece test measures"
replication - Answer repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different
participants in differnet situtions, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants
case study - Answer an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the
hope of revealing universal principles
naturalistic observation - Answer observing and recording behavior in naturally occuring
situations without trying to manipulate and control situation
survey - Answer a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a
partiuclar group, usually by questioning a representation, random sample of the group
population - Answer all the cases in a group being studied, from which sample may be drawn
random sample - Answer a sample that fairly represents a population because each member
has an equal chance of inclusion
, correlation - Answer a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of
how well either factor predicts the other
correlation coefficient - Answer a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from
1-10)
scatterplot - Answer a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two
variables. the slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between two
variables. the amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates
higher correrlation)
experiment - Answer a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more
factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the
dependent variable). by random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control
other relevant factors
experimental group - Answer in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the
treatment, that is, to the one version of the independent variable
control group - Answer in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the tratment;
contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a compairions for evaluation the ffect of
the treatment
random assignment - Answer assigning participants to experimental and control groups by
chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups
double-blind procedure - Answer an experimental procedure in which both the research
participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the reserach participants
have received the tratment or a placebo. commonly used in drug-evaluation studies
placebo effect - Answer experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on
behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient
assumes is an active agent
independent variable - Answer the experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable
whose effect is being studied
confounding variable - Answer a factor other than the independent variable that might
produce an effect in an experiment
